Table

[StevenWWinters]

Response from Xara Support regarding XDPro9's inability to import even a rudimentary Word table is below:

Hi,

Thank you for your example document, this has been logged for the development team. There is limited support in the current Word import filter for tables. The list of supported Word features will lengthen as development progresses with it through patch updates.

Kind regards,
CS

[csehz]

That sounds finallly well, as I understand so it can happen that some of the updates can contain it and no need to wait for the new version

[richinri]

I am guessing this table widget in "other widgets" is not in X8?

[steve.ledger]

New to version 9.

[Big Frank]

i don't even understand the mentality of people who design (usig the word 'design' very loosely) tables in word
word does text word processing
excel does tables
doing tables in word, editing tables in word, good god its like putting wet clothes on after lying on a beach covered in suntan cream
when its 34° in the shade

[csehz]

In Office 2010 or in Office 2013 the applications so much integrated already with each other, that these borders are not so strict what to do in which one.

Probably also the Microsoft prefer this direction that whereever the user is, should be able to do a lot of things. The lot of picture effects already in Word, or SmartArt such section, or the Cliparts, who knows where are the border already. From Excel for example possible to browse internet pages, so is it a browser already? Anyway sure inside that is just the IE but also like that. Not mentioning the VBA which really makes everything possible

[Peteroz1]

Thanks guys
The table widget is a bit sad - it lacks what I love about Xara - in that it does not let you directly interact with it you have to wrestle a dialogue box that limits you in so many ways

The import cut paste from word looses the table all together.

If I Paste a enhanced metafile I get a table that looks right (after I size it to the page) but then the text is a mess it you try to edit it and is all bits and pieces. - what's worse is I have to set it up in word. I was hopping to kiss goodby to word when Xara was starting to promote as a DTP. (DTP. To me says word processor + the cool graphics stuff of Xara)

I would have thought tables, with shading and borders was at the most basic end of laying out reports...

Looking forward to the development team showing everyone how tables should really be done as they have done with so many other cool tools that let you focus on the work not on dialogues

Peter

[Big Frank]

can you show an example of what you mean how a table should look
i can't believe it can't be done using at least partly xara

[Peteroz1]

Yes it would seem to me a fundamental ting - insert table 3 rows 4 columns
cells expand as you type, you tab from cell to cell, you add and split cells, row, colunms
all keeping things in place - heck you can do this with a Google Doc - no claim as a Desktop Publisher there, just down right simple word processor.

I have has a try to import a PDF version, and while that Looks correct - the text paragraphs are all stuffed up - you can only highlight 3-4 words at a time -
this is also true for text not in the table - all seems a but poor - the PDF text is fine and select able as a paragraph in PDF converter, and Acrobat??? - all VERY Frustrating

See attached screen grab

[mwenz]

Yes it would seem to me a fundamental ting - insert table 3 rows 4 columns
cells expand as you type, you tab from cell to cell, you add and split cells, row, colunms
all keeping things in place - heck you can do this with a Google Doc - no claim as a Desktop Publisher there, just down right simple word processor.

I have has a try to import a PDF version, and while that Looks correct - the text paragraphs are all stuffed up - you can only highlight 3-4 words at a time -
this is also true for text not in the table - all seems a but poor - the PDF text is fine and select able as a paragraph in PDF converter, and Acrobat??? - all VERY Frustrating

See attached screen grab

The difference in selecting text in Acrobat is that it does not see discreet text boxes as does *any* vector editing application that can open a PDF for editing. PagePlus can do a better job in that its PDF import can be made to stitch together logical text blocks into one or more text frames. But in the PDF, if you look at the code for a PDF (and understand it) it is more akin to a fixed-position web site builder (Xara, WebPlus, etc.) in that each line is actually a discreet line in the code--and even discreet text blocks that look like a line.

I do agree that Xara ought to get its act together as regards a table tool. What is there now I find unusable. It would have been better not to have put it in.

However, with the exception of booth banners, posters and the like, I compose designs in other applications and so much of this problem doesn't affect me directly. When I have made sales sheets and some other data sheets where I need charts and spreadsheet material, the work is done and finished in Excel and so the PDF works fine for my purposes. The few times I have needed to alter data at the last minute, it was simple to create a new PDF from Excel. In the end, it is a far better work-flow than this widget business.

Mike